Miesha Tate vs. Hitomi Akano
The fight was in the finals of the one-night Strikeforce 135-pound number-two contender tournament. Yeah I don't understand it either. Miesha Tate had defeated Maiju Kujala earlier that night via decision and Hitomi Akano had defeated Carina Damm earlier that night via modified triangle. The Fight The first round began and they touched gloves. Akano blocked a body kick. Tate blocked a high kick. She missed an inside leg kick. Akano landed a good body kick. Two thirty-five. Tate landed a jab. Tate landed a front kick. Two fifteen. Akano blocked a high kick. Akano landed a body kick. They clinched. Two minutes left. The crowd chanted 'USA'. Tate had the standing back. Akano dropped back on top to backwards half-guard sort of. One thirty. Tate had Akano's back really though too. They scrambled strangely, Akano was pretzeled up under Tate. One minute. Akano had a footlock. It was tight. Tate was defending. Thirty-five. The crowd chanted 'Miesha'. Tate stood out and stacked Akano. She landed a right and stacked Akano again with ten. The first round ended. The second round began and they touched gloves. Akano was aggressive. Tate landed a leg kick and missed a high kick. She landed a blocked one. Two thirty-five. Akano landed a blocked body kick. Tate landed a leg kick. Tate landed a good right hand. Tate missed a pair of Yager-esque high kicks. She got a trip into that backwards half-guard with two ten. They scrambled. Two minutes. Tate had the back really. 'Watch the kneebar!' They scrambled. Akano had the backwards side control. One thirty-five. Backwards half-guard really. One fifteen. The crowd was booing. One minute. Tate had both hooks and had the back. The referee was warning a standup. Wow. Thirty-five. Tate landed a trio of rights in around. Tate was working towards the choke. Fifteen. Akano turned in to guard. Tate locked up a triangle but the second round ended. The third round began and they touched gloves. Akano landed a hard blocked body kick. Akano landed a blocked high kick. Tate landed a body kick. Tate reversed a judo throw and had both hooks. Two thirty. Tate worked towards the choke. Two fifteen. Tate lost the hooks. She had one back in. 'Come on baby!' Two minutes. Tate had both hooks back in. She worked for the choke. She nearly had it in. One thirty-five. The crowd chanted 'Miesha'. One fifteen. Tate landed a pair of rights in under. She lost a hook and then the other. One minute. Akano was turning out the back door. They rolled. Tate stayed on top in north-south working towards a kimura. She had it locked up. Thirty-five. She lost it but she was still on top in mount now. Akano gave up the back with both hooks. Fifteen left. Tate landed a pair of rights. A left and a trio of rights. The third round came to an end. Tate leapt up on the fence. She was the winner by unanimous decision and justly so.